Darian Mensah isn’t losing sleep over Miami’s rebuilt offensive line, and the reason comes down to one name: Alex Mirabal.
The Hurricanes head into fall camp with plenty of attention on the trenches after losing four starters, including All-American right tackle Francis Mauigoa. That kind of turnover would rattle most quarterbacks, especially one who was sacked 28 times last season. Mensah, though, has already seen enough to believe Miami will be fine.
Speaking on The Joe Rose Show, the former Duke transfer pointed to Mirabal’s track record as the biggest source of confidence.
“As far as protection goes, coach [Alex] Mirabal, he’s always going to have the offensive line coached up,” he said. “I’m not worried about true freshmen [starting].
If coach Mirabal thinks he can play, he can play. I trust him with my life.”
Mensah’s faith matters because he knows what it’s like to produce without perfect protection. Last season, he completed 334 of 500 passes for a 66.8 percent clip, threw for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns, and added six interceptions across 14 games. He also led the ACC in passing yards and touchdowns.
Miami’s line will look different, but there’s no shortage of moving parts with experience attached. Ryan Rodriguez is expected to take over at center and lead the group in what will be his sixth and likely final season with the program. The Miami native has dealt with injuries, but he now has a chance to finish his Hurricanes run on a strong note.
Matthew McCoy and Samson Okunlola split snaps at left guard last season, and both are set to land in different starting spots this time around. McCoy said during spring practices that he’s moving to right tackle to fill the opening left by Mauigoa, while Okunlola is projected to remain at left guard.
Those veterans will be asked to steady the room while Miami brings young talent into the mix. Freshman five-star Jackson Cantwell is projected to start at left tackle after being ranked among the nation’s top-10 recruits by several outlets. At Nixa High School, he piled up 459 pancake blocks in four seasons.
On the other side, sophomore Max Buchanan is projected to start at right guard after appearing in five games last season as a reserve. Buchanan came to Miami as a four-star recruit out of Seminole High School.
For the Hurricanes, it still comes back to the line of scrimmage. If the front five holds up, Miami gives itself a real chance to keep the offense rolling. And if Mensah is this comfortable already, the rest of the room may be in better shape than the outside noise suggests.
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